Originally published June 7 2011
Kenyan farmers band together against GMOs, insist organics will end poverty and food shortages
by Ethan A. Huff, staff writer
(NaturalNews) Droves of farmers in the African country of Kenya are pushing hard to stop efforts by government officials to implement genetically-modified (GM) crops in the nation. Contradicting the lies and propaganda continually dispensed by the biotechnology industry, these farmers claim that organic crops -- not GMOs -- continue to lead the way in ending poverty, providing food for natives, and even producing yield surpluses that can then be sold in foreign markets to help boost local economies and improve food sovereignty.
Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki recently signed into law the Kenya Biosafety Act 2009, which creates a "National Biosafety Authority" to regulate newly-introduced GMOs into the country's agricultural system. And like all other GMO proposals, the Act came with glowing promises that "Frankencrops" would help to eradicate poverty, boost crop yields, and pretty much save the world (or something like that). But it turns out that actual Kenyan farmers hold a different point of view based on actual reality.
"The developers of GMOs have exerted great pressure to ensure that our recently enacted Biosafety Act of 2009 serves the interests of foreign agribusiness, rather than farmers and consumers," said Anne Maina, Advocacy Coordinator of the African Biodiversity Network, a federation of Kenyan farmers devoted to organic farming. "Introduction of patented seeds and related chemicals into our farming systems threatens our agricultural practices, our livelihoods, the environment, and undermines our seed sovereignty."
Organic farmers throughout Kenya have experienced incredible success with organic farming, and they hope the government will recognize this fact. Contrary to industry rhetoric, organic farming has demonstrably increased yields, reduced costs, improved soil and environmental conditions, and boosted income streams -- not GMOs. Organic farming is responsible for helping many natives escape poverty and starvation, without having to be dependent on companies like Monsanto to supply expensive terminator seeds and harsh chemical pesticides at premium costs.
"We no longer spend money on chemical fertilizers and depend on compost manure to grow staple crops," said Jack Rware, an organic farmer in the Kenyan town of Embu that has been prospering for decades from the bounty of his organic farm. "Organic manure promotes soil nutrients and water retention. Yields have gone up and new market frontiers for organically grown crops has opened up."
Rware also added that his organic methods have increased the production ratio of his land, which blows a hole in the biotech myth that GMOs offer increased yield densities over other crops. Once again, more biotech lies have been exposed as nothing more than an elaborate agricultural takeover scheme based on deception and manipulation of government authorities. GMOs provide no real benefits for anyone except the companies that created them.
Sources for this story include:
http://africasciencenews.org/asns/index2.php...
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